The US Southern Command announced Monday that US forces carried out an airstrike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people accused of drug trafficking. This was the first military operation in more than two months, following the twin earthquakes in Venezuela on June 24.
According to a social media statement, US forces conducted "a lethal airstrike on a low-profile vessel operating on drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific." The attack occurred on Sunday. General Francis Donovan, commander of US Southern Command, affirmed a commitment to "apply comprehensive pressure" on drug trafficking organizations.
The campaign of airstrikes against vessels suspected of drug trafficking along the Caribbean coast and the eastern Pacific began in early September last year. Based on compiled data from US Southern Command announcements, there have been 67 attacks, resulting in 223 deaths, and the destruction of 64 speedboats, 3 low-profile vessels, and one semi-submersible.
However, many US military announcements have not provided evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying drugs. Critics have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the campaign, especially since fentanyl – a substance causing many overdose deaths – is typically transported overland from Mexico, with chemicals imported from China and India.
The administration of President Donald Trump has stated the US is in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels in Latin America and justifies the attacks as necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US. But the administration has provided little evidence to support claims of eliminating "narco-terrorism."
The airstrikes have left several survivors, but most have not been rescued. According to data, only 28 people have survived, with just 3 successfully rescued. The first airstrike in September 2025 left two survivors, but they died in a second attack on the same vessel – an action that has drawn controversy over its legality.
The Trump administration is currently seeking to expand the campaign on land in several Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had agreed to allow the US to conduct joint military operations on their territory, though Guatemala denied this. Ecuador has also been carrying out similar missions with the US since March.
The Pentagon's Office of the Inspector General said in May it would review whether US forces followed established targeting procedures during the airstrikes, but it will not focus on the legality of the attacks.
